In Defense of Free Thought

As a senior citizen, I have a few words to say in defense of the Carbon County News. Last week’s edition carried a scathing attack on the newspaper that was unsubstantiated. The writer apparently did not agree with a column related to health care which was included in the Red Lodge senior center news the previous week. I am reasonably sure that the Red Lodge senior center news is contributed each week and printed as a community service.

This is a typical case of blaming the messenger. I think the Carbon County News does a creditable job as a community newspaper and would surely not limit coverage to any one part of the political spectrum. As to the article in question, I did not find anything in it that is not true. The writer mentioned that seniors were given a pamphlet produced by the Heritage Foundation which said the Affordable Care Act would hurt seniors. Seniors were told that the Heritage Foundation is a “non-partisan think tank providing well-researched data.” I too am a senior citizen, and I do resent it when anyone thinks that because I am old I will believe whatever I am told. Anyone who does not know by now that the Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank heavily funded by the Koch brothers is surely out of it.